Ocean, nature, critters, and recreation

Breaking news

Apr 24, 2013

Confrontations between motorists and bicyclists are not uncommon, but rarely do they escalate beyond a heated argument. And when they do, they're not often videotaped by a surveillance camera.

The accompanying footage shows a situation that clearly got out of hand, with the driver turning around in an alley, ramming the bicyclist with the car and dragging him several feet backward before taking off.

And the Beverly Hills Police Department, which posted the video this week on its Vimeo page, is trying to locate the driver of the car: a BMW 328i, perhaps 2008 or later. The incident occurred April 3 in an alley between Wetherly and Almont drives.

"The driver intentionally rammed the bicyclist with his vehicle pinning him to a metal rolling trash bin," the department stated in a news release.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the bicyclist, who was not seriously injured, told police that he had fought with the driver earlier in the day.

"The bicyclist punched the driver in the face," police said, and the driver "threatened to kill the victim and follow him" into the alley, in which the footage was captured via surveillance camera.

The driver of the BMW is described as a white or Middle Eastern male in his mid-30s, with dark hair and a slim build.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Detective Eric Hyon at (310) 285-2156.

Apr 11, 2013

Another photo of a two-headed shark has surfaced. The first was that of a bull shark found recently by fishermen in the Florida Keys. The second, published Thursday by National Geographic, shows a baby blue shark with two heads (pictured at right).

Very bizarre, since only about a half-dozen cases of two-headed sharks have been documented.

But based purely on appearance, many will agree that when it comes to bizarre-looking specimens the one-eyed Cyclops shark captured in 2011 in Mexico's Sea of Cortez still reigns supreme.

The two-headed blue shark was found in 2008 by Christopher Johnston, during a longlining expedition in the Indian Ocean. He supplied the accompanying image to National Geographic.

"We pulled up a pregnant blue shark, cut it open, and there was the two-headed one," he said. "It was about two-thirds the size of the rest of the pups in length. I put it in the tank on the deck. It swam a little while, but it couldn’t swim properly, it just swam in one spot as if it were on a treadmill. I tried feeding it squid but it wasn’t interested."

It's believed that two-headed sharks would be vulnerable to predation and would not survive in the wild. This one eventually died.

After this website broke the story about the one-eyed cyclops shark, thanks to a tip from Pisces Sportfishing, the image went viral and lots of people didn't believe the shark was real.

The story became more believable, however, after Felipe Galván-Magaña, a prominent Mexican scientist, acknowledged that he had inspected the shark and had even written a paper on the discovery.

That albino shark fetus, with what appeared to be a single eye perfectly centered on its forehead, was one of 10 babies removed from a pregnant bull shark by fishermen near La Paz.

The shark, which was caught via a baited line beneath a buoy, was dead when it was pulled up by commercial fishermen.

To read more about the two-headed blue shark, click on the National Geographic link atop this post or see David Strege's story on the GrindTv Big Blue blog.

Jun 15, 2012

Hurricane Carlotta on Friday afternoon was upgraded to a Category 2 storm and was still intensifying, with a hurricane warning in effect from Salina Cruz north to Acapulco.

This stretch of coastline is dotted with small villages, including Puerto Escondido, a popular surfing destination. The storm's center is expected to move over or near land between Puerto Angel and Acapulco on Friday night or Saturday.

A hurricane warning is a call for citizens and tourists to take steps toward protecting their lives, property and pets. "Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," stated the National Hurricane Center in a 2 p.m. public advisory. The storm boasted maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

A hurricane watch is in effect to the south of Salina Cruz and north of Acapulco, to Tecpan de Galeana. But people as far north as Puerto Vallarta ought to be prepared for strong winds and heavy rainfall at some point over the next several days.

The states of Chiapas, Guerrero and northern Oaxaca can expect an estimated 3-5 inches of rainfall through Sunday.

Carlotta's proximity to the coastline has many people worried. The storm is predicted to weaken somewhat before re-intensifying, before ultimately weakening as it tracks to the northwest along the coast through the middle of next week.

Ed Kunze, a longtime resident of Zihuatanejo (north of Acapulco in the state of Guerrero), stated via email:

"I am a bit nervous about Carlotta. I bought another five-gallon jug of drinking water, for a total of 15 gallons. Tomorrow I will fill the truck up with gas, as well as get an extra 15 gallons for my small generator. If the electricity goes down, then the pumps at the gas station and drinking water place won't work.

"Today I got cash out from the bank. Banks can't disperse cash without electricity either. Also, tomorrow I am buying extra toilet paper, and a few more dry foods.

"I am probably better off than 99% of the people, but it could be bad. I am following the reports and updates regularly. Of course, all my friends say it will blow past and out at sea, as they always do, but I am an engineer and feel we are due. Plus, I have seen zero places in town preparing or even thinking about it."

Hopefully, those within the warning and watch areas are, in fact, doing what they can to minimize the storm's impact.

Mar 29, 2012

A juvenile gray whale that had been tangled in commercial fishing gear was freed Thursday off the Palos Verdes Peninsula, a day after being spotted by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew off Orange County.

The 25- to 30-foot whale, which had several wraps of polypropylene line around its tail, was said to be in reasonably good condition and was swimming strongly after the last of the gear had been cut away.

The line was the type used to connect lobster and crab traps to surface buoys. It's believed the whale picked up the gear off Baja California. (Gray whales are currently migrating from breeding grounds in Baja's lagoons to Arctic feeding grounds.)

This is the second rescue effort in six days off Southern California. The first, last Saturday off Dana Point, was successful after a marathon endeavor by Capt. Dave Anderson and his disentanglement team.

However, that whale, which had been dragging a large gill-net wrapped around its tail section, is believed to be the same whale that was found dead Tuesday afternoon inside Long Beach Harbor.

The latest had been traveling with a larger whale on Wednesday. Anderson and his team tried to rescue the whale Wednesday afternoon but conditions were too rough, so the team outfitted the whale with two bright buoys, so it could be spotted more easily Thursday morning.

Monica DeAngelis, a marine biologist with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, said it's unusual to have two whale entanglements in the same general area in less than a week.

But she added that whale entanglements are not uncommon. In the period from 2001 to 2011 there have been 78 entanglement reports. Thirty-one involved humpback whales and 19 involved gray whales. The others were fin whales (four), a minke whale and unidentified species (22).

People who spot an entangled whale are encouraged to call NOAA's Engangled Whale Hotline at (877) 767-9425.

-- A special thanks to researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger for helping to gather facts for this report.

An attempt to rescue a young gray whale tangled in fishing gear was expected to resume Thursday morning off Point Vicente on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The distressed whale was first spotted Wednesday afternoon off Newport Beach, but conditions were too rough to attempt a rescue before dark.

This is the second such effort in six days off Southern California. The first, last Saturday off Dana Point, was successful after a marathon endeavor by Capt. Dave Anderson and his entanglement team.

However, that whale, which had been dragging a large gill-net wrapped around its tail section, might be the same whale that was found dead Tuesday afternoon inside Long Beach Harbor.

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach and Marine Animal Rescue are collaborating on the rescue effort, with permission from the National Marine Fisheries Service. As of 10 a.m. the disentanglement team was not with the whale.

Monica DeAngelis, a marine biologist with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, said it's unusual to have two whale entanglements in the same general area in less than a week.

But she added that whale entanglements are not uncommon. In the period from 2001 through 2010 there have been 78 entanglement reports off California. Thirty-one involved humpback whales and 19 involved gray whales. The others were fin whales (four), a minke whale and unidentified species (22).

Sep 23, 2011

It's looking increasingly like Hurricane Hilary, which on Friday was a powerful Category 4 storm, will bring more than just large waves to Baja California Sur.

The major hurricane, which on Friday boasted sustained winds of 145 mph, is off the Pacific coast of Mexico tracking toward the west-northwest, away from land. But Hilary is expected to gradually veer more to the north beginning late Monday.

It's not clear yet what areas might be most affected by rain and swells, but if it stays on its projected path significant rainfall is likely along parts of Baja California's southwestern coast.

As for waves, Surfline is reporting that large swells generated by Hilary should begin to arrive in the Cabo San Lucas area as early as Saturday, with areas farther north along the Pacific side of the peninsula receiving an increase in surf Monday and Tuesday.

The National Hurricane Center predicts that Hilary will remain a major hurricane at least until Monday morning. On Friday there were no warnings in place, but that could change over the next few days.

Aug 30, 2011

A mammoth swell generated by an Antarctic storm will slam Southern California beginning Thursday and last through Labor Day weekend. This is great news for surfers but alarming for lifeguards who will have their hands full dealing with large holiday crowds.

Surfline forecasters are calling for waves in the five- to eight-foot range on Thursday afternoon, with the swell building into Saturday, featuring waves in excess of 10 feet on south-facing beaches and perhaps up to 20-plus feet at the famous Wedge in Newport Beach.

As with all large Southern Hemisphere swells, there will be long lulls between giant sets. Swimmers are cautioned that monstrous waves may seem to spring up suddenly, and because of this they're advised not to venture too far from shore.

This is the same swell that greeted ASP World Tour surfers in Tahiti during a contest that was won by Kelly Slater on Monday. Surfline is predicting this will be the largest wave event of the summer and may feature some beach erosion and coastal flooding.

Aug 24, 2011

Huntington Beach Pier has been crowded recently with shark fishermen and on Tuesday a YouTube user by the name of Ograza 13 uploaded a video showing the illegal capture of a juvenile great white shark that was stuck with a rope gaff, hauled onto the Orange County, Calif., pier and dragged around as it bled and gasped for breath.

Thanks to a tip from a witness and the incriminating footage, the angler who reeled in the five-foot shark has been identified and is under investigation for the take and possession of a protected species.

"We have the shark and we've identified who caught the shark," said Capt. Dan Sforza of the state Department of Fish and Game. "We are investigating and nobody is going to get away with anything."

Sforza declined to identify the angler. White sharks have been protected in California waters since 1994. Unlawful take and possession is a misdemeanor and those in violation face possible jail time and large fines.

Southern California waters are utilized by juvenile white sharks as a feeding ground. They prey mostly on small fishes, rays and other small sharks until they get large enough to migrate offshore and to the north to prey on seals and sea lions.

In the video, one person on the pier repeatedly calls out the word "mako," perhaps believing the quarry was a mako shark. Makos are not protected, but it's an angler's responsibility to understand the law and what he has on the line.

Jun 29, 2011

Catch of the week honors belong to three fishermen who recovered a barely-living 25-foot giant squid off Florida on Monday, and to University of Florida researchers who have collected the remarkable specimen for study and possible display.

Giant squid, long depicted as sea monsters and legendary for their epic battles against predatory sperm whales, reside largely in the ocean's light-less depths. Whole specimens are incredibly rare.

"It's so rare to get these specimens and they're such deep-water animals that we don't know much about how they live," said John Slapcinsky, collection manager at the university-run Florida Museum of Natural History. "This specimen provides an excellent opportunity to learn things about these creatures we couldn't find out any other way."

The squid was discovered floating at the surface by Robert Benz, Joey Asaro and Paul Peroulakis at about 11 a.m. Monday. They had been fishing aboard a 23-foot boat and teamed to carefully haul the colossal cephalopod aboard.

"I thought we definitely need to bring it in, because no one's going to believe us if we don't," Benz said in a news release issued by the university. "I didn't want to leave it out there and just let the sharks eat it." (Benz also appears in the WPTV News video posted below.)

Giant squid, or Architeuthis dux, can measure 60 feet long and weigh 1,000-plus pounds. They reproduce only once, after which they can become lethargic and slowly perish. That might have been the case with this particular squid.

Jun 15, 2011

The long-anticipated opening of Tioga Road, which traverses Yosemite National Park, will occur Saturday at 8 a.m., according to park superintendent Don Neubacher.

The Tioga Road (State Highway 120) represents the popular east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada. News of its opening will be well-received by fans of the majestic Sierra wilderness park.

However, there remains several feet of snow in the Tuolumne Meadows area. Hiking opportunities are limited and visitors are urged to use extreme caution. Additionally, ice is prevalent and stream crossings are treacherous.

Campgrounds along the Tioga Road are closed. All commercial services, including the gas station, store, and village grill, also are closed until further notice. There are several no-stopping zones along the road, but vault toilets will be available in several locations.